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Hurtful Load

From a Saipan correspondent Just as the northern Marianas is separating itself from the rest of Micronesia to become a commonwealth in union with the United States and finds it must increase local revenues, it also discovers it still has to give half of its im port duties to the Congress of Micronesia it is leaving.

The loss of some s</2-million annually “badly needed” by the new Marianas Government was seen as a “breach of faith, understanding and confidence” of the Marianas people by three senators who sponsored a resolution outlining the hurt ful loss in a resolution presented to the Marianas legislature.

At last report, a senate committee was studying the resolution which said that Secretarial Order separating the islands had given away half the tax, contrary to the senators’ insistence that the un derstanding between the USA and the new commonwealth was that all locally generated revenue would be used locally.

On April 21, more than 4,000 Marianas residents gathered at the civic centre plaza on Saipan to celebrate the signing of the Northern Marianas Com monwealth Covenant by US President Ford.

“The people of the Northern Marianas have much to be grateful for, but so do the people of the rest of the United States”, the newly-appointed Resident Com missioner, Erwin D. Canham, 74, told the crowd who joined in a “mass of thanksgiving”, a festive meal, and a public dance.

Nickel-Plated Fish

From a Noumea Correspondent The big-game fishing drama continued in Noumea through April-May as the prize catch, the nickel-plated ‘fish’ in the New Caledonian Territorial Assembly, put up a valiant show of resistance to the powerful linesmen from Paris.

The Caledonian spectators just had to grin and bear the last agonies of the fish that knew ultimately the game would be up, but still a display of resistance had to be made for the sake of the Caledonian elector who may not easily forgive having the territory transformed into a de-facto department of France.

So the 1976 Caledonian budget con tinued unvoted in April, leaving many Caledonians without jobs and without payment because the funds were held up.

In late March the Territorial Assembly rejected one of the latest offers made by an envoy from the French Overseas Territories Minister that the French Government should take over private (mission) education in the territory and thus relieve the deficit-ridden budget of over SAIO million worth of territorial subsidies.

Soviet Offer

A visit to Tonga by the Soviet Am bassador, Mr Oleg Selyaninov, who is based in Wellington, created a lot of at tention elsewhere, particularly in the United States. He stayed four days, and promised King Taufa’ahau Tupou support which would benefit both countries through scientific research and trade. Mr Selyaninov is also believed to have discussed lengthening the airport near Nukualofa to meet international stan dards, and developing Tonga’s fishing and canning facilities.

Torres Verbal War

The Torres Strait Islanders between the Australian and Papua New Guinea mainlands do not intend to give an inch in the continuing verbal war over the placing of the border between the two countries.

They see concessions being made in Canberra to give the seabed to Papua New Guinea as the thin edge of the wedge eventually they feel their islands and seas will also be claimed by Papua New Guinea.

Mr Getano Lui, chairman of the Torres Strait Islanders’ Advisory Council, recen tly made it plain the islanders wanted to remain within Australia’s boundaries, and not become part of Papua New Guinea in that country’s proposed redrawing of the

boundary left over from trust territory times. Papua New Guineans may fish in the strait, he said, but the islanders were determined to keep their land, waters and the sea bed.

Mr Lui argues that their islands’ close proximity does not give PNG claim to any of the islands along the PNG border. He defends his position saying the PNG-West Irian border is only a line on the map and half the Papuan people live in West Irian, Singapore is close to Malaysia, the English Channel Islands are close to the French coast, and a number of Greek Islands are close to Turkey.

In conference in 1973, he says, the islanders told the Papua New Guineans they did not want the border changed and they were not asked for it to be changed although the Papua New Guineans did want to know if they could go on fishing in Torres Strait. The islanders were happy to share the fishing.

Mr Lui asked why PNG wanted to change the border when there was agreement about fishing, a marine park in the area and a committee to administer sharing of resources. He suspected PNG was greedy because there might be oil or minerals in the seabed.

The islanders believe the seabed belongs to them, just as the water and air above them does. They would never agree to giving away one grain of sand or one cup of water. The islands were given to them by their ancestors, and the islanders had to pass them on to their children.

But the islanders were told in Canberra that the water and land would remain theirs, while the seabed would be given to PNG. There would only be one result PNG would eventually claim the water and the islands. Neither Australia nor PNG would guarantee that would not

happen.

Fiji’S Games?

Fiji is practically certain to stage the next South Pacific Games, in 1978 or 1979. The South Pacific Games Council, during the 1975 Games in Guam chose the New Hebrides as the host territory.

The New Hebrides have since declined because of limited facilities.

American Samoa was the next choice, but it too has declined. Fiji offered to step into the breach, provided the games could be held in 1979, instead of 1978. The charter calls for the games to be held every three years, as long as the year does not conflict with the Olympic Games.

If no other territory comes forward the Games Council may opt for Fiji and “bend” the charter to allow the Games to be held in 1979. Fiji staged the first Games in 1963 and made a pretty good fist of it under the direction of Mr Joe Coyne.

Ground For Tax

A tax on boom earnings from coffee growing is just around the corner, Papua New Guinea Finance Minister Julius Chan said in April. He was replying to criticism from the Speaker of the National Parliament, Mr Barry Holloway who claimed that growers were frittering away their boom earnings on imported luxuries and were undermining attempts to make PNG self-reliant.

Mr Holloway criticised the government for not adopting a tax scheme which would put the extra earnings to good use in the national interest. The government’s reply from Mr Chan said the Local Government Act was being amended to give special tax powers to some local authorities.

In coffee-growing areas this would allow local authorities to raise taxes in times of excess earnings. When coffee prices fell, central taxation at normal rates would take precedence.

Workless Woes

Massive unemployment is just around the corner for Papua New Guinea’s towns and cities; up to 44 per cent of the male urban workforce some 86,000 men could be out of work by 1981, the PNG Central Planning Office fears.

The office blames excessively rapid growth of PNG’s population and the drift of workers from rural areas to towns. It discounts the widespread opinion in PNG that rapid industrialisation in urban areas will solve the problem.

The report appeals to the government to put the greatest possible emphasis on rural development and agriculture in an attempt to change trends which include worsening housing problems, urban poverty and crime.

Oh Norfolk!

The High Court of Australia has ruled that Norfolk Island is part of Australia.

The court was dismissing an appeal against a lower court’s decision that a Norfolk company must put in a tax return.

The court ruled that Australia’s income tax laws covering Norfolk were valid, and at the same time went further by saying there were “powerful reasons” for regard ing Norfolk Island as part of Australia.

In an earlier case, Mr Justice Eggleston had dealt with the history of the island and historical documents, and had con cluded that Norfolk Island was a territory placed by the Crown under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia by the constitution. Now, Mr Justice Mason who prepared the tax case judgment has agreed that the history and historical documents supported Mr Justice Eggleston’s con clusions.

Norfolk Island initially was part of the

penal settlement established in New South Wales, later it was administered by the Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) as part of that colony. In 1856 it was constituted a separate set tlement administered by the Governor of NSW, who was appointed Governor of Norfolk Island.

On January 15,1 897, on the eve of the establishment of the Commonwealth by Order-in-Council it was recited that it was “expedient that other provision should be made for the government of Norfolk Island, and that, in prospect of the future annexation of that island to the colony of NSW, or to any federal body of which that colony may hereafter form part, in the meantime the affairs of the island should be administered by the Governor of

Nsw”.

Mr Justice Mason said the Order-in- Council empowered the Governor of NSW to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the island.

“The continued administration of Nor folk Island as part of or by the governors of the Australian colonies, culminating in the Order-in-Council made in 1897 vesting the administration in the Governor of New South Wales, makes it abundantly clear that Norfolk Island forms part of the Commonwealth of Australia”, Mr Justice Mason said.

The Chief Justice, Sir Garfield Barwick, said he agreed with Mr Justice Mason’s conclusions and the reasons for reaching them.

“In my opinion, Norfolk Island is part of the Commonwealth”, Sir Garfield said.

“The legislative power given by Section 5 1 (2) of the constitution is exercisable with respect to the income of residents of the island”.

At Last!

A regional shipping line could now be established by the South Pacific Forum which only had to make a definite decision, President Hammer deßoburt of Nauru said after the recent meeting of the Regional Shipping Council in New Zealand. The president is chairman of the council. The forum, at Nauru, late in July, will consider a recommendation from the council to set up the line.

Air Baby

The recently released Australian air craft, the Nomad, has a Papua New Guinean baby named after it. Nomad Weta, whose parents come from the cen tral mountains settlement of Telefomin, will be given a big Christening ceremony after being born in a Nomad while being flown to coastal Wewak to hospital. The Nomad has been operating in PNG for only a few weeks for Independent Air Transports, one of the country’s first air ventures to be owned solely by Papua New Guineans.

Dengue Deaths

Two cases of suspected death from dengue fever were reported in April from Noumea where an epidemic broke out in February. By late April it was estimated that already 15 per cent of the population had been affected by the disease, which was still not as severe as the 40 per cent afflicted during the 1972 epidemic.

Strenuous efforts were being taken to com bat the mosquito vector of the disease. The two deaths suspected as being caused by dengue fever concerned two persons already in a state of coma when admitted

to hospital.